There is tissue on the space station that scientists use to “listen” for the impacts of space dust

One of the biggest threats to the International Space Station (ISS) comes from the impacts of micrometeoroids. A small hole in the wrong place can throw resident astronauts into a life-threatening situation. Currently, there is no active program to monitor these types of impacts, although scientists believe they must be common given the ubiquity of small objects in the orbit of the ISS. An interdisciplinary team from MIT hopes to provide some data to support that theory using an extremely unusual impact sensor made almost entirely of fabric.

The outer panels on the ISS are already covered in a fabric material called Beta fabric, which gives the space station its distinctive white color. The Teflon-coated fiberglass material is designed to protect the space station from small-scale impacts. However, it does not actively monitor if or where an impact has occurred, making it difficult for astronauts to determine if a piece of fabric needs to be repaired or replaced.

Enter material designed by the MIT team. It uses “thermally drawn acoustic fibers” which are hypersensitive to mechanical vibrations. The fabric also converts those mechanical vibrations directly into electrical energy using the piezoelectric effect. Hooking the threads to individual patches of material would provide a grid structure and allow engineers to count the number and size of impacts affecting the fabric.

Samples of these highly sensitive fabrics, as well as others that have electronics embedded directly in them, were sent to the ISS in early November. Although the samples are not powered for now, a 10cm x 10cm sample is currently attached to the outside of the ISS. The team plans to expose the sample to the rigors of space for a year, after which it will be returned to Earth and analyzed for any changes.

In addition to analyzing the returned sample, the team plans to launch motorized versions of the fabrics in late 2021 or early 2022. But powered fabrics aren’t just useful for detecting debris impacts. The team also plans to brainstorm other use cases for the material. Numerous applications have already been developed in the field, but space is a new frontier for this new technology.

Ideas include everything from cosmic dust detection to haptic feedback and communication networks embedded in spacesuit fabrics. Because the idea of ​​using these fabrics in space is still so new, the inventors at MIT are exploring many potential options to truly understand the potential of this revolutionary technology. If they prove up to the challenge, the ISS and many other permanent space travel vehicles could get a complete new set of high-tech clothing.

To know more:
MIT News – 3 Questions: Using fabric to “hear” space dust
Tevo News – MIT team sends “high-tech” fabrics into space
Hackster.io – Future astronauts could gain a sense of touch thanks to MIT smart fabrics aboard the ISS

Main image credit: JAXA / Space by MIT News